Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck”
Imagery:
· Scuba gear | · The myth of the ship wreck |
· Sunny sky-black of the bottom of the sea | · mermaids |
· reef | · sunken treasure |
· The ship wreck | · Lone / nameless person |
Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck” has many vivid images in it. There are two set of images, though, that work together to give an interpretation of the poem. The first set is the image of the scuba gear, corroded ship wreck, and going from the blue sky to the bottom of the black sea. The second is the sunken treasure and nameless people carrying a book of myths. One could interpret this poem as a reflection on how myths and different than the truth. It also is a observation on what humans will do to discover that truth, even if others have seen and recorded it before.
The poem is reflecting on how the myths surrounding an event and the actual event differ so much and that many nameless people died in those events that create myths. It also reflects on the numerous people who discovered things before they were made famous. The scuba gear and transition from sunlight to blackness represents how the truth becomes lost over time and transforms into a myth. They also represent the expectations that people have of what something looks like. Those travelers expect an amazing site. The corroded ship wreck symbolizes the truth and actual story. It explains that the truth is not as glamorous as the myth and was much more tragic. It represents all those who died so that the myth could be created.
The sunken treasure represents the hidden answers to questions about history. The truth is hidden behind the myths. It also represents the truths that are within the myth. In the treasure there are artifacts from a certain time period that can be used to figure out what was going on in that time and why people acted the way they did. It also represents our curiosity as humans. We’re always trying to find the truth. That enticing thought of discovering the truth behind the myth motivates us to do unpleasant things. The nameless people represent the nature of how a person must see it for himself before he’ll actually believe it exists.
The poet is making a comment on human nature and the mystery of our history.
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